Finding Vintage Photo Booths in Berlin: A Complete Guide

Finding Vintage Photo Booths in Berlin: A Complete Guide

Berlin is the undisputed world capital of the photo booth. No other city comes close to Berlin's density of analog, chemical-process machines. With an estimated 100-plus working vintage photo booths spread across the city, Berlin offers an unparalleled experience for anyone who loves the classic four-frame strip. This guide will help you find them.

Why Berlin Has So Many Photo Booths

Berlin's photo booth culture is unique for several reasons:

Historical legacy. Germany was one of the first countries outside the United States to adopt photo booth technology in the late 1920s. The Photomaton company established operations in Berlin early, and the machines became embedded in daily life for passport photos, ID documentation, and personal use.

Photoautomat. The modern Berlin booth scene owes a tremendous debt to Photoautomat, a company that has been restoring, maintaining, and placing vintage analog booths across the city since the early 2000s. Their distinctive machines — often placed outdoors on sidewalks and plazas — are a beloved part of Berlin's streetscape.

Cultural fit. Berlin's identity as a creative, countercultural, and slightly nostalgic city makes it the perfect home for analog photo booths. The machines fit seamlessly alongside the city's record shops, vintage stores, and independent bars.

Kreuzberg: The Epicenter

Kreuzberg, particularly the area around Kottbusser Tor and along Oranienstrasse, is the densest area for photo booths in Berlin — and possibly the world.

You will find Photoautomat machines on street corners, outside bars, and in small plazas. Many are outdoor machines, which means they are accessible 24 hours a day. The black-and-white chemical strips they produce have become iconic souvenirs of a Berlin visit.

Notable locations include the booths near Kottbusser Tor U-Bahn station, along the Landwehr Canal, and outside several clubs on Oranienstrasse. Our Berlin photo booth directory has exact addresses.

Neukölln: The Rising Scene

Neukölln has seen a surge of photo booth placements in recent years, tracking with the neighborhood's growth as a cultural hub. Sonnenallee, Weserstrasse, and the area around Rathaus Neukölln all have accessible machines.

The booths in Neukölln tend to be slightly quieter than the Kreuzberg ones, making them ideal if you want to take your time posing without feeling rushed by a queue behind you.

Friedrichshain: Nightlife and Booths

Friedrichshain's concentration of bars, clubs, and live music venues means plenty of photo booths. The area around Simon-Dach-Strasse and Boxhagener Platz has multiple machines. Some are indoor (in bars), while others are on the sidewalk.

The RAW Gelände area, a sprawling former railway repair yard turned cultural complex, has several booths and is worth a visit for the atmosphere alone.

Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg

Berlin's central Mitte district and the adjacent Prenzlauer Berg have photo booths scattered along their commercial streets. Mitte locations tend to attract more tourists, while Prenzlauer Berg's booths feel more local.

Check near Hackescher Markt and along Kastanienallee for reliable machines.

What Makes Berlin Booths Special

Berlin's vintage photo booths almost universally produce black-and-white strips. The monochrome output has become part of the city's visual identity — when you see a strip of four black-and-white photos, you think of Berlin.

The machines are typically outdoor Photoautomat units, which means they are free-standing, weatherproofed, and accessible at any hour. The cost is usually two euros per strip, making them extremely affordable.

The black-and-white chemical process used in these machines produces a beautiful tonal range, with rich blacks and creamy whites. The fixed-focus lens creates a characteristic shallow depth of field that flatters portraits.

Practical Tips for Berlin Photo Booth Hunting

1. Carry two-euro coins. Berlin's Photoautomat machines accept coins only, and two euros is the standard price.
2. Explore on foot or by bike. Many booths are within walking or cycling distance of each other, especially in Kreuzberg and Neukölln. Our Berlin tour route is designed for a walking circuit.
3. Visit at night. The outdoor booths have built-in lighting that creates a moody, atmospheric look after dark.
4. Wait for the strip to dry. Berlin booths produce strips that are damp when they emerge. Give them a minute before handling to avoid smudging.
5. Check the weather. Outdoor booths work in rain, but your experience will be more comfortable on a dry day.

Beyond the City Center

Berlin's photo booths are not limited to the central neighborhoods. Machines can be found in Schöneberg, Wedding, Charlottenburg, and even outer districts. As new bars and cultural venues open, new booths follow. The Booth Beacon map is the most comprehensive resource for finding every working machine in the city.

A Photo Booth City Like No Other

Berlin's relationship with the analog photo booth is unlike any other city's. Here, these machines are not novelties or nostalgic curiosities — they are part of the urban fabric, as natural and expected as a döner kebab stand or a Späti. If you love photo booths, Berlin is a pilgrimage you need to make.

Start planning with our Berlin photo booth guide and the interactive map. Over one hundred machines are waiting for you.